Fatal distraction
by Vidja
Summary: My first attempt at ff ever, featuring my favourite mischievous beauty, Lady Mariel. Want me to write more? So R&R!
1. Default Chapter

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BABYLON 5 names, characters and all related indicia are the property of J. Michael Straczynski, TNT and Warner Brothers, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company. All rights reserved.

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"Fatal distraction"

by Vidja

"Get _out_ of here!", Mariel snarled, her rose-red mouth twisted into an expression of utter fury.

"As you wish, my lady", the old woman croaked, with a slight bow. "But I'm not done with the massage yet, you know that well enough. Moreover, I meant no disrespect. I was just saying that you're-"

"_Enough_!", the young Centauri woman exploded, glaring at her servant like an outraged goddess. "I said, _get out_… NOW!"

The old crone let out a loud sigh, but then she chose – quite wisely, indeed – to retreat in good order and disappeared in the corridor, with a last, irritating half-bow.

Her beautiful mistress grabbed the perfumed oil's crystal bottle and threw it after her, sending it to crash against the closing door.

Then she closed her eyes, exaled slowly through her parted lips, and rubbed the bridge of her nose between index and thumb.

As she opened her eyes again, she stared at the fragrant fluid dripping to the floor, and stomped the carpeted surface with her delicate right little foot.

Of course, she could call Selira back, and order her to clean up the mess… but she didn't feel like seeing the old witch any time soon, so she picked up a silken handkerchief and rubbed the slicky spot away, a disgusted snicker pasted upon her face throughout the job's whole duration.

Satisfied with the result, she threw the spoiled cloth into the recycle unit, and sniffed her own hands, gingerly.

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Mighty Li, she tought, _this reek's bound to follow me for a long while_.

Then, with a shrug, she wiped her hands against her naked body – nothing had to be wasted now that she was, as the old bore was reminding her a little while before, "a poor woman, all alone in the world" – and completed the massage sequence on her own, gently stroking the firm tissues of her thighs and calves.

She began to dress up, meanwhile rehearsing her lovely coquettish smile before the full-figure mirror: Minister Varona was being a little late – thankfully – so she took her time to make sure that _everything_, from the flower composition down to the bed's sheets, would be ready to properly receive the burly little politician.

* * * *

As soon as the Minister tiptoed off the room, Mariel stopped pretending to be sound asleep, and turned her long, elegant neck to look at the night table.

Varona had left a "small token of his affection"… an ancient-looking jewel, a neclace made out of three different types of gold, intertwined to form an intricate pattern, with five emerald-like gems woven into it.

She grabbed the thing, and nodded approvingly: the weight felt just good. 

Minister Varona – but she had called him _quite_ other names, half an hour ago – was, of course, a generous man.

He'd come at her request, to assure "poor, disgraced Mariel" of his unchanged respect and friendship.

He'd contributed to her wealth's dissipation, by thoughtfully sipping away nearly a bottle from her Brivari reserve.

He'd offered her to be his guest at the Court for that evening's ball, of course not before being repeatedly assured by her that Ambassador Mollari, for whom he professed the highest admiration, would not have resented his audacity.

And in the end, as Mariel had abandoned her head against his shoulder and done some convincing sobbing about her misery, he had held her tightly against his round belly, and offered her his friendship again, his tentacles blatantly stirring under the richly adorned overcoat all the way long… after which, he had felt an obligation to bring her further _comfort._

Oh well, the Centauri woman thought, kicking the sheets away from her perfect body and crawling out of the curtained bed. _As long as he keeps "happening" to carry family treasures into his pockets…_

She laughed merrily at the _coincidence_ which had made him take the necklace before coming to visit an unhappy friend.

He could have spared such a poor lie, indeed… after all, he was _expected_ to bring a gift.

They always were. 

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All of them.

Mariel stretched herself in front of the mirror, and realized just how _exausted _she was.

She couldn't even bear the tought of going through the whole thing again – bathing, perfuming, dressing up and all the rest – yet there was a ball in her near future, and she'd better get ready.

She bit her lower lip for a moment, then shrugged and cried out loud, "_Selira! SELIRA!_"

She knew well enough that the stupid old cow would've scowled at her, and started again the blasted wailing about her mistress' having been "disposed with" by that most remarkable man, Mollari.

As it was, Selira was not a bad asset in herself… she was a faithful and experienced servant, and Mariel had known that her (often unsolicited, and sometimes outright unwelcome) suggestions could be trusted, ever since she was a child.

But she was also a most fervent admirer of Mariel's former husband; she had been _that_ ever since the unlucky day in which her mistress had joined her destiny – and, more significantly, her fortunes – with the ancient and wealthy House Mollari.

The beautiful woman knew well enough that being a part of the Ambassador's personal harem could be quite a dreadful experience for a young Centauri (_and quite a lustful one_, she admitted to herself, with a twisted grin), but she could agree with the old servant that there were certain privileges… money, of course.

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And parties. And luxuries. And status.

Well, she could still have most of them, except maybe for the status.

And she would _neve_r be forced to meet her two former "colleagues" again, the fishy Daggair and the dull-looking Timov, and to be _kind_ to them… 

And, by all the Great Maker's might, she would always be _free_ to admit into her quarters as many gentlemen as she wished, and she had largely exploited this particular option since the day she'd left Londo (or the other way round, it _just_ didn't make such a big difference), five months ago.

That was _not _to say that she'd been a faithful bride before that point; she'd always followed her whims, but the same had been true of Daggair – and even Timov would have been glad to amuse herself behind her husband's back, had she found an unpretending _enough_ suitor.

But in the last four months, Mariel had literally made a living from her seduction tactics, and out of a sort of poetic justice, she'd always invited her beaux into the same quarters that Londo had left her _in order to avoid attracting too many gossips._

Of course she'd become more selective in the choice of her partners; only ministers and generals, and entrepreneurs, or at the very least, ambassadors, could hope to be admitted to her presence in order to "offer their friendship".

Sure, the mere thought of Londo chosing _Timov_ above herself was still enough to stir her fury – she'd woken up in the night with a terrible sense of nausea for a dozen times during the last month, and she was _sure_ that Mollari was to be blamed for her nerves' bad condition – but all things considered, she was quite satisfied with her lot in life… Selira's rumbilngs _included._

* * * *

"Selira! SELIRA! Will you hurry up, you stupid old –"

"Here I am, my lady", the woman panted, entering her mistress' bathing room. "Are you all right?"

"NO, I'm _not_, thank you", Mariel snarled, wiping a few drops of acrid saliva from the corner of her mouth. "I've had nightmares _again_… and you know how feeble my nerves have become, recently".

"Selira regarded her with a doubtful expression. "I hope so", she half-muttered.

"WHAT? Have you finally lost your residual wits? It's ten… no, nearly 14 days already, since I last had a full night's sleep. I feel exausted, stressed, and the ball was unusually long… I must be looking _awful_!"

"No, and that's what makes me _think_", the elder woman said, softly. "You look even better than ever before. Your skin's radiant, your hips are firmer than usual, the wrinkles around your eyes are gone… _no_, my dear, _listen_ to me", she said, preventing her mistress' incoming protest about the _wrinkles_ argument, "and as for the eyes themselves, well… there's a light in them… a _special_ one… which was simply _not_ there before".

The young Centauri looked more than a little perplexed. "I _know_ you're trying to score a point, Selira", she muttered, with a little pout, "but I don't seem to be able to get it, too".

"May I speak my mind freely, lady Mariel?", the servant asked, with a hint of concern.

"Yes, _yes_, go on!", the other one replied, exasperated.

"I think you're pregnant", Selira declared, bluntly. "Of course, I might be wrong… but I'm _not_".

Mariel stared at her, gaping. "You REALLY are out of your wits! I've always… you know, _cared_ about… certain _precautions_…"

Her voice grew weaker and weaker, and in the end, it trailed off.

The truth was, she'd paid attention _sometimes. Most_ of the times, even. But there _had_ been occasions…

The young Centauri sighed deeply, and went back to the bedroom, straight towards the curtained bed. 

"I'm going to have some sleep now", she announced bravely. "Send for a doctor… I will see him early tomorrow".

* * * *


	2. Fatal distraction,  part 2

Fd2 __

BABYLON 5 names, characters and all related indicia are the property of J. Michael Straczynski, TNT and Warner Brothers, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company. All rights reserved.

****

"Fatal distraction" part 2

by Vidja

"Your lady companion is right, you know", doctor Kallo said.

Mariel rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed. "Somehow, it doesn't come as a surprise to me", she replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Isn't she _always_?"

Selira opened her mouth to form a protest, but the young Centauri doctor cut her off, in his most expansive manner: "If she _is_, then you are a very lucky woman, my lady. Such a trustworty and skilled servant is worth a treasure… indeed, Lady Mariel, I seriously doubt that anybody else would have been able to detect your pregnancy".

He nodded to the old woman, then turned to bestow his full attention upon his beautiful patient.

Mariel laughed and chatted and flirted with the doctor through the whole session, until she was positive about his looking at her with something more than just a clinical eye… which was _exactly _what she had wanted.

After all, she wasn't a rich woman any more…

…that was why she had instructed Selira to call for a young, _male_ doctor in the first place.

The gorgeous Centauri woman shot a quick glance at the doctor, and smiled to herself. He wasn't _that_ bad, all things considered…

He was tall and muscular, and his hazel eyes were quite remarkable. He was fair-haired, and happened to be a supporter of the latest fashion, since he proudly sported a moustache and an exotically trimmed beard. His hair stood up at a respectable middle height - which would have been far below Mariel's minimum requirements normally, but looked just fine given the circumstances.

Mariel actually giggled with expectation while looking at Kallo's hands… a surgeon's hands for sure, so long and elegant they were!

The young physician saw her reaction, and misunderstood it entirely.

"Well, my lady… I am pleased to see that you're not upset at the prospect of becoming a mother soon", he said with a kind smile. "May I assume that, despite your pregnancy was not… programmed…" He glanced meekly at his patient, who nodded encouragingly. "..it is your intention to carry it through?"

"Oh, _absolutely_, yes!", she said warmly, flapping her eyelashes in mock confusion. "I mean, since both you and my _skilled and trustworthy_ lady companion agree that having a baby would add to what little beauty I might posses…" and she lowered her gleaming eyes, while playing with her silky braid, "it would be silly of me to turn down this opportunity, now wouldn't it?"

Kallo chuckled softly at this, but didn't forget his manners: "Your beauty is _so_ radiant that you couldn't possibly add to it, however slightly, without blinding us, mere mortals, with its light", he declaimed, clearly meaning every word of it.

The young woman shot a triumphant smile at Selira, who was frowning deeply - Mariel couldn't say if it was because of her pointed remark, or if the old bore didn't agree with her plans for the future. _Probably both_.

"You flatterer", she shot back at the doctor, with a silvery laughter.

Kallo seemed actually hurt. "I hope, my lady, that you didn't resent my boldness?"

"I didn't", she whispered, in her most alluring way. "But I really _do_ resent your insistence in calling me 'my lady'… I mean, since you'll probably be spending much of your time inspecting my body", she said reasonably, rejoicing inwardly at the sight of the physician blushing like a teenager, "it would be far more easy for you to simply call me _Mariel_. Wouldn't you agree…?" 

The Centauri male panicked slightly, but he succeded in regaining his composture. 

"Tar. It's my name", he added, quite awkwardly.

Mariel nodded, still smiling sweetly. "Wouldn't you agree, _Tar_?", she repeated.

"Of course I do… Mariel", he said, a first hint of perspiration appearing on his flushed face.

"_Good_!", she cheerfully exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I suppose that I'll see you _very_ soon, then?"

"Tomorrow morning, if it pleases you, my- _Mariel_", he quickly amended. "I'll have a room prepared for you at the hospital, so that I will be able to follow your progress 24 hours a day. You can dispose for your personal items to be sent to you later, and-"

"That… would be quite… inacceptable. I'm sorry", Mariel said, slowly. "I'm _not_ going _anywhere_". 

Doctor Kallo blinked in undisguised surprise. "I… beg your _pardon_?"

"_I will NOT leave this place_", she confirmed. "I'll give birth to my offspring here, at home… like it used to be in the old days of the Centauri Republic", she joked, unconsciously recycling her former husband's favourite cliché.

Tar Kallo tried hard to avoid sounding harsh, but his barely restrained annoyance was plainly evident by the way his blond crest was trembling upon his head.

"Now, my dear Mariel, just try to be _reasonable_", he said, patiently. "You can't really _mean_ to go through it all without proper medical care! You'll need a suitable environment, and all the comforts you can get. Moreover, how am I supposed to run your tests without any equipment at all?"

The beautiful young woman sighed. "I'm _sorry_, Tar. I appreciate your concerns, I really do", she said, but her uplifted chin and her stubborn expression said other things, too… for example, they said that if the doctor was not going to change his mind quickly, then _she_ was going to change her doctor without a moment's thought. "But, you see… I have my reasons. I _don't _want my- I don't want _someone_ to know about my condition", she cautiously explained. "I'd rather _die_".

The Centauri physician lifted his hands. "Then so be it. But you'll follow my instructions to the letter, and let Selira be your supervisor when I'm not here", he said, sternly. "_If _you're willing to give me your word, _then_ we have a deal".

The lady Mariel shrugged. "Are you telling me that I'll be forced to put up with my servant's whims? What a _novelty_!", she snickered.

"Good, I see we understand each other. _And_, you will obviously restrain from attending balls, parties and any kind of stressful events. As much as I hate to keep you away from the social whirl, you can see by yourself how potentially dangerous it can be for a woman in your conditions… why, your fashionable corsets would be more than enough to-"

He trailed off in mid-sentence, since his patient had waved him off with… well, _im_patience.

"You know, Tar… I won't mind staying away from the Court for a while. And it is unlikely that _they_ would miss me, too… those vipers will simply have to choose a new victim to spit their venom at".

Doctor Kallo tried to utter something, but was silenced again.

"_Please_, do not pity me. I still have friends, you know. Very _dear_ friends, who still care for me, despite my being an _ambassadorial discard_", she spat, bitterly. Then, with sudden trepidation, she took his hand into hers and whispered, "May I count you among my friends, Tar?"

"Of… of course you can. I would be… honoured to serve you", he managed to utter, fighting to keep his tentacles from reacting at her sudden vicinity. "I'd better go back to the hospital now… I'll be back tomorrow, with some sleeping pills and a list of foods you should better avoid", he said, gently disentangling his fingers from hers, and heading for the door.

"Are you in such a hurry to leave us, Tar?", Mariel teased, tilting her head slightly to the right. "Oh, but wouldn't it be sloppy professional behaviour for you to go away without taking even a glance at the other room? Since, you know, you'll have to see me in there pretty often, when I'll be so swollen that I won't be able to receive you properly any more…" 

Mariel took hold of his hand again, and practically dragged him into her bedroom.

* * * *


End file.
